Why Forgive?
It is difficult to forgive someone who has wronged us [The Face of Forgiveness, June]. Yet, it is an act of courage that elevates the quality of our lives. When we hate others, we actually give them power—over our sleep, appetite, health and happiness. It does not hurt the enemy at all.
Beena Mathur, Pune
What the Pope did to Agca [Editor’s Note, June] was also done to innumerable of our antisocials and hardcore criminals. Misplaced forgiveness is a concept discarded by sociologists and criminologists alike in hardcorecrime situations. Gandhiji’s killer, Godse, never regretted his act. Let us not get carried away by positive emotions.
Ramanand Shanbhag, Mumbai
Mr Shanbhag gets this month’s Best Letter Prize. —Eds. Years ago, I innocently set up business with my best friend. But when our business was thriving, he cheated me, after which I had to use all my savings to clear my liabilities. Now he is rich and rocking and I am poor and languishing, unable to provide a future for my family. Do you suggest I go hug him and forgive him? If I do so, will I be in the same league as Pope John Paul II?
Srinivasa Rao Ch, Mysore
R. S. Pillai,
It is indeed shameful that a person can kill a complete stranger just because he prays to another god!
Kilikollur, Kerala
During prayers we ask to be forgiven. But what right do we have to be forgiven if we ourselves are not prepared to forgive others? Quite surprisingly, forgiving enemies or